Horse Facts and Equestrian Sports

Horse Health and A Clean Stable

February 5th, 2008 Subscribe To Our Feed

To keep up with all that's new in the Equestrian Sport please subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Horse Health and A Clean Stable

Most of us feel better if our environment is clean and healthy – and your horse is no different. Horse health is dependent on many things, not least a suitable environment. It is every bit as important as the obvious things such as food, drink and a caring owner.

No true Equestrian ever neglects the care of their horse, in fact you work hard to keep him happy. He needs fresh food and water, plenty of space to run and exercise but none of these will ensure the health of your horse without a keeping him and his stable clean, dry and comfortable. Mucking out is not one of the favourite chores in my world but it has to be done to keep Apollo happy, without it he would be susceptible to foot problems and more, as a dirty stable is a breeding ground for many pests and diseases. If you are in the fortunate position of being able to hire someone to do it for you, it is your responsibility to ensure that the job is properly done. Everything should be regularly hosed down and washed out as well as just clearing away the old bedding.

There is little point in feeding your horse with the best available nutrition and giving him fresh, clean water if the feed racks and water troughs are not spotless. So many parasites can develop and will attack your horse from the inside – you often don’t know about things like that until the health of your horse is severely compromised.

Tack also needs to be kept clean and supple so that nothing rubs or causes sores, though at least that is a job you can do indoors in the evening when you can’t be out riding. Grooming and cleaning your horse is also of vital importance, especially foot care and keeping his coat in good condition – but I’ll go into that more another time. For now remember your horse is dependent on you, in the wild his environment would be fresh and open, in the stable your horse’s health is entirely your responsibility.